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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · mug · rest · game · charge · fork · mark · court

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — of a king
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. mug — a cup
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — a grade
  13. game — wild animals
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com